EPIC V12 Ultra

Purchased in 2010, price of around $4,800. Purchased direct from Epic Australia who wanted payment up front before shipping to Melbourne.

The Ultra is a light weight honeycomb construction which is easily damaged because the hull is extremely stiff and does not flex easily when pressure is applied. As a result the honeycomb wall is easily compressed and once compressed does not return to its original shape. While for the most part this damage is cosmetic, if a large enough area gets compressed it can lead to structural failure.

Having said this the boat’s kevlar layer is extremely tough and will not easily tear or split, like glass or carbon fibre will. I have been T-Boned by someone and thought the boat would have a huge hole in it but in fact all there was was superficial gelcoat damage. Still it cost $300 to get a professional repair done.

Unfortunately my experience is that because of the large size of the v12 (6.4 meters long) and light weight (12.5 kg) the boat is prone to damage whilst being carried – a small gust of wind can easily cause the boat to swing around and hit something. More often than not this results in a small compression dent in the hull.